So I got the tidy-ing bug this afternoon. And I was talking to my boyfriend’s mom about it, saying jokingly, “Maybe I have an actual problem!!” I do indeed get anxious when I feel “closed in” by my messes. And I take it to such silly levels, cleaning out drawers and re-organizing the tiniest little things. Now that I think of it, I have always been that way! I’ll suddenly NEED to clean everything out of my closet or dresser and then that spurns on other things I simply can’t leave uncleaned, until it’s hours later and I don’t know what time it is, when I last ate, or where this cleaning frenzy began!
I suppose that I can keep the anxiety over it under control, as long as I am aware of it. That’s another place in my life I am grateful for my boyfriend. Halfway through cleaning, he bear-hugged me on the bed, forcing me to pause and come back to the world! Anyway, here’s a few photos of the surface cleaning I did. (I’m sure no one needs to see the reorganized craft caddy drawers)
The bedside table/bookshelf on my side of the bed, which I try to keep refreshing and uncluttered, as that is the first thing I see in the morning, and the last thing before I fall asleep:
Keeping both our things on equal display is something I strive to do. I want the room to feel as much his as I want to feel at home in it! So far I think I have kept it fairly balanced. Of course with the new tv we bought yesterday, my boyfriend won’t be seeing much else! Either way, this is his “display shelf”:
And lastly is my accessory/get ready zone. Always a creature of habit, this is my last stop in the room before I rush head off to work/school/dinner/friends/whatever. His other Lego ship is displayed behind that area, visible from the other side of the room I promise!
I would show you my new and cozy desk area (in my head I call it my Office Nook) but it is currently a disaster. Holding receipts yet to be sorted, things still needing filing, my homework, two purses and a backpack, and the Stella I’ve been sipping tonight!
I’ve settled on a few easy cleaning tips I’ve picked up from Pinterest and Apartment Therapy (my absolute favorite site on the planet!) that I plan on implementing in the house my boyfriend and I are going to save for:
1. Having baskets in each room to collect things that don’t belong there or need to be brought back to their “home room”.
2. Landing Strips at entrances of the home. I want a bowl for keys/change, a little box for checks/mail/items needing to leave the house, a few hooks for jackets and scarves and hats; if possible a basket for gloves and sunglasses and of course a rug to save the floors!
3. Display Shelves for all the cool things my boyfriend loves. I am learning that I’ll need quite a few of these.
4. Display boxes. As a chronic purger, I don’t hang on to all that much. But like any other human being, I am prone to hang on to strange little knick knacks that have cute little stories to go along with them. That being said, I don’t want to look at them all the time, and being the sole duster in my house growing up: I certainly don’t want to pick all the damn things up every time I need to dust!
Those are a few things I find helpful for staying tidy.
Are there any tips or tricks you use to keep the surface clean, and the clutter down?
I hope you have a fantastic evening! Off to finish my desk area, so I can get my train of thought down to four or five channels instead of the nine or ten that it’s bouncing across lately! Remind me to tell you about the “Man Trail” in my next post, I’m sure you’ll get a chuckle!
Good night!
Dealing with Yourself 